Railroad-crossing gate



A. BiLLUPS RAILROAD CROSSING GATE Filed March 7 gwvaw for, 0/1/20 EILLUPS attoz mm:

a. I I

I Patented Oct. 19, 1926.

- tric' motor for moving the gate to a lowered UNITED STATES ALONZO BILLUPS, OF GREIIADA, MISSISSIPPI.

- nunnonn-cnossr'no earn.

Application filed fiareh 7, 1925. Serial No. 13,904.

This invention appertains to railroad gates of the automatic type, 1n which the gate is effectively raised and lowered through suitable mechanism, without the necessity of employing an attendant for operating the gate.

The primary object ofthepresent invention is to provide means including an elecposition upon the approach of the train and novel means for permitting the gate to be raised to an elevated position after the train v has passed the crossing.

ther object of the. invention is the provision of a railroad gate having a wei ht associated therewith for normally holding the same in araised position and means ineluding an electrlc motor for moving the gate to a closed position against the action of saidweight and means includinganelec- I tro-magnet operated detent for disconnecting the motor operating means from the ate after the train has passed the crossing, whereby the gate will be permitted to return to its normal position by gravity.

A further object of theinvention is the provision of novel means for breaking the circuit of the electric motor by. a part of the gate operating means, so as to render the motor inoperative after the gate has been moved to its closed or lowered position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means for' connecting the motor to a suitable gearing with the gate and novel means including a ratchet wheel 'and electrically operated detent or dog for releasing the gearing from the gate, so as to permit the gate to return to its normal raised position without 0 crating saidgearing.

A still further 0 ject of the invention is to provide an improved automatic gate of the above character, which will be durable and efiicient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market and incorporated with a railroad crossing at a small cost..

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in' the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will be hereinafter more s ecifically described,

I claimed, and illustrate in the accompanydrawings, in which drawings in %igure 1 isan elevation of the complete of one-of the gates,

signal such as a bell 19 can also be incorp Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view wherein similar reference characters desig-,

nate corresponding parts throughoutv the several views, the gates are enerally indicated by thenumerals 5 2111f are pivotally associated with the casing supports '6. These casing supports 6 are arranged one on each side of the railroad crossing and the gates are so arranged as to swing in a horizontal plane across the roadway and longitudinally of the railroad track.

The gates 5 are of a novel construction,

and the outer ends thereof are provided with weights 7 which normally tend'to swing the gateson the casing supports 6 to a raised vertical position. The gates are also so constructed as to. prevent lnjury thereto and to .thedriver of a vehicle should the vehicle attempt to cross the track when the gates are in their closed position. As shown each of the gates 5 includes the casing carried section 8 and a swinging innersection 9. vAs shown the sections 8 and 9 are connected by a vertical pivot pin 10 which permits of the swinging of the inner sections 9 in a horizontal lane. These sections 8 and 9 are normal alinement by the use of a suitable coil spring 11, the terminals of which are connected respectively, byv means of brackets 12 with the sections 8 and 9. It is also preferred to incorporate a signal orthe like in the outer section and to provide the signal with transparent plates 13 provided with suitable warning indicia such as the word Stop as indicated by the reference character 14. These plates can be illuminated by the use of a suitable incandescent lamp not shown), wires 16 and 17 being provi ed for this purpose. These wires 16 and 17 extend into the casing 6 and-are connected to the terminals by a suitable battery 18. An audible ratedin the length of the wire 15.so t the same will be sounded when the get start to lower. Is is preferred to automatically control the sounding of the bell 19 and the lighting of the incandescent-lam by the gate operating mechanism, which w now be described.

y maintained in longitudinal- The gate operating mechanism embodies a shaft 20 carried by the walls of the casing 6. 'This casing 6 can be constructed in any desired way and out of any desired material such as sheet metal or the like. Rotatably mounted upon the shaft 20 is a relatively large worm wheel 21' and a relatively small spur gear wheel 22. These wheels 21 and 22 are independent'of one another and the spur gear 22 has rigidly connected thereto in any desired way the ratchetwheel 23 which is also rotatably mounted upon the shaft 20. Rotatably carried by the casing 6 at a point above the shaft 20 is a second shaft 24 to which is keyed or" otherwise secured the gate section 8. Keyed to the shaft 24 in the interior of the casing 6 is the lever 25, which has formed on its lower end the sector gear 26. This sector gear 26 meshes with the spur gear 22. Rockably mounted at a point intermediate its ends is a dog 27 provided with a tooth for engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel 23. As clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings this dog is mount ed upon a suitable pivot pin 28 carried by the worm wheel 21. A contractile coil spring 29 is connected to the worm wheel 21"and the dog 27 and normally holds the toothed end of the dog in engagement with the ratchet wheel. It is to be noted that when thedog 27 is in engagement with the ratchet wheel 23 that the worm wheel 21 and the spur gear 22 are locked together for synchronous movement, whereby upon turnin movement of the worm wheel the gate will e actuated thereby.

This worm wheel has meshing therewith a worm 3O keyed or otherwise secured to the armature shaft 31 of a suitable electric 1110- tor 32. I y

The circuit of the electric motor 32 is preferably controlled by a conventional block signalling system used with railroads, so that the gates will not require the attention of a gate attendant. As shown wires 33 and 34 are led from the railroad block and can extend through a suitable relay 35 the circuit through the motor thereby renclering the gate inoperative. v

@arried by the worm wheel 21 is a solenoid 40, thearmature of which is carried by the dog 275st) that upon the energizing of the electronagnet or solenoid, the dogwill be swung on a pivot and out of engagemagnet 40 is incorporated'with these wires 41 and 42.

In operation of the improved gate, when a train aproaches the crossing and enters the first block, the circuit will be closed through the motor 32 causing the operation or" the worm wheel 21 and the spur gear wheel 22' which will lower the gates. When the gate reaches the extreme lower position the switch 37 will be actuated so as to break the circuit through the motor. When the train reaches the second block, the circuit through the electro-magnct 40 will be closed causing the moving of the dog 27 away from the ratchet wheel allowing the free rotation of the ratchet wheel and spur gear 22 on the shaft 20, thereby permitting the lifting of the gate by the weight 7.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an automatic railroad gate of an extremely simple and durav tile construction which will eii'ectively oper-' ate under all conditions. v

It is preferred to provide an automatic means for closing the circuit to the lamp carried by the gate and the bell 19 carried by the casing and in order to accomplish this the arcuate conductor strip 45 is arranged in the path of the lever 25 and this lever carries an electric conducting plug 46 for engaging the said strip when the gate swings to its lowered position. The wire 17 is interrupted and has one terminal connected respectively to the plug 46 and the other terminal to the conductor strip '45. I

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit" or scope of this invention, but

What 1 claim as new is:

1. The combination with a gate adapted to be closed by power and. to be opened by gravity, of arr-electric motor for moving the gate to'a closed position, a worm wheel operatively connected .to the motor,-a spur gear wheei rotatable relative to theworm wheel, means for releasably connecting the worm wheel and spur gear wheel together for synchronous moyeinent, a rocking shaft supporting the gate, a sector secured; to the shaft and meshing with spur gear wheei, means for disengaging the worm wheel and spur wheel, and a switch operated, by

the said sector gear for breaking the circuit through the motor upon the complete closing movement of the gate.

2. A railroad crossing gate including in combination a support, a shaft rotatable in the support, a gate mounted on and rotatable with the shaft, a second shaft carried by the support and arranged below the first shaft, a worm wheel and a spur gear rotatably mounted upon the second shaft independently of each other, a sector gear secured to the first mentioned shaft and meshing with the spur gear, means for releasably connecting the worm wheel and spur gear together for synchronous movement, a motor for operating the worm wheel, and gate operating means for breaking the circuit through the motor.

3. The combination with a gate adapted to be opened by gravity and be closed by power, of an electric motor utilized for closing the gate, a worm wheel operated from the motor, a spur gear wheel, adapted to cause, upon rotation thereof, the operation of the gate, means for releasably connecting the worm wheel and spur gear wheel together for synchronous movement including a ratchet wheel carried by the spur gear and a dog for engaging the ratchet wheel carried by, the Worm wheel, means for moving the dog from engagement with the ratchet wheel including an electro-magnet, and means for automatically breaking the circuit through the motor upon the complete lowering movement of the gate.

4. The combination with a gate adapted to be closed by power and be opened by gravity, of an electric motor for moving the gate to a closed position, a worm wheel operatively connected to the motor, a spur gear wheel rotatable relative to the worm wheel, means for locking the worm wheel and spur gear together for synchronous movement including a ratchet wheel carried by the spur gear and a ivoted dog carried by the worm wheel, a roc ing shaft supporting the gate, a sector gear secured to the shaft and meshing with the spur gear, means for moving the dog from engagement with the ratchet wheel including an electro-magnet carriedby the worm wheel, and a gate operated switch for breaking the circuit through the motor upon the complete lowering movement of the gate.

5. A railroad crossing gate including in combination a support, a shaft rotatable in the support, a gate mounted on and rotatable with the shaft, a second shaft carried by the support and arranged below the first shaft, a worm wheel and a spur gear rotatably mounted upon the second shaft independent of each other, a sector gear secured to the first mentioned shaft for meshing with the spur gear, means for locking the worm wheel and spur together for synchronous movement including a ratchet wheel carried by the spur gear and a pivoted spring pressed dog carried by the worm wheel normally engaging the ratchet wheel, means for moving the dog from engagement with the ratchet wheel including an electromagnet carried by said worm wheel, a motor for operating the worm wheel, gate operating means for breaking the circuit through the motor, and a signal circuit controlled by the gate.

6. The combination with a gate adapted to be opened by gravity and closed by power, of an electric motor utilized for closing the gate, a worm wheel operated from the motor, a spur gear wheel rotatable freely of the worm wheel and adapted to cause upon the rotation thereof, the operation of the gate, means for releasably connecting the worm wheel and spur gear wheel together for synchronous movement, means for automatically disengaging the worm wheel from the spur gear wheel and means for automatically breaking the circuit through the motorupon the complete closing movement of the gate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALONZO BILLUPS. 

